Connecting Character to Conduct: Helping Students Do the Right Things

Synopsis

Help students connect the values of character education to their daily thoughts and actions. Using authentic school examples, this book explains how to integrate meaningful character education into a standards-driven curriculum. Discover guiding principles that help students make good decisions. Explore school practices that support student character. And learn strategies for using noninstructional settings, athletic programs, and parent meetings to advance character education.

Excerpt

Once again, Pat, a 6th grade teacher at Centerville MiddleSchool, is surprised at how hard it is to fall asleep the nightbefore the first day of school. She tells herself that it doesn’tmatter whether it’s a teacher’s first year of teaching or twentyfirst, the night before school begins is filled with excitement,nervousness, hope, and a sense of the unknown. Each year, Patasks the same questions: What will my students be like? Howwill I get them through the new assessments? Will I have a support team? What will the principal want? Will the parents besupportive? As she waits for the sun to rise, thoughts about thenew standards, increased accountability, and new technologyrace through her head. “Am I ready for all this?” she wonders.

Pat’s sleepless scenario is played by many educators the night before every opening day. As teachers, administrators, pupil personnel, and support staff, we have countless “getting started” questions about the growing pressures and responsibilities that schools face. Traditionally, we have heard conflicting answers to our questions, and we have prepared for our work in isolation. As a result, each year we feel increasingly overwhelmed by how much we have to teach, test, and report. Uninterrupted instructional time is rare, and the respon-